After the Moon Has Faded
by PixelButterfly
Summary: After Soo dies, Wang So is no more and Gwangjong takes his place. A story of how the King lived out his days and how years after Soo's death, Wang So returned at the behest of a small child. Main characters are Wang So, Wang Seol, and Wang Ju. Chapters are not interconnected. Canon is decided by the reader. Rated T as of Chapter 3.
1. After the Moon has Faded

The Cruel King, the Wolf King, the Murderer. Gwangjong knew what foul names he was called behind his back. He knew the other epithets as well: Bastard King, Dead King, Soulless, Heartless. He did nothing to stop them.

His ministers could whisper and his family could hate him, but that did not deter his path. In any case, Gwangjong knew the Queen was the reason names like "Soulless" and "Heartless" ran amok.

She had hated him after the birth of their first child and son, the First Prince. Gwangjong had refused to see her. He had been hunting when the birthing began and when a messenger came with the news, he had scoffed before continuing to hunt, shooting a sparrow out of the sky and handing the dead bird to the messenger. "Give that to the Queen and tell her not to bother me again," he had commanded, spurring his horse forward. He had felt nothing when he laid eyes on the squalling infant offered up to him by the triumphant Queen. He had not even bothered to hold the babe.

The boy was named Wang Ju by his father. The Queen had smiled at the name, finally knowing that her husband would at least be a good father if he was not a good husband. "Ju," to rest and rule, or perhaps it was "Ju," the descendant. The Queen had been proud… until Gwangjong wrote out the characters for the Prince's name. "Ju," the liar and the one who hides. He had not made an effort to see the boy after that day.

Their second child had been born in the night, but Gwangjong was too far to hear the Queen's labor. During the final months of the Queen's pregnancy, he had moved her chambers to where the Dowager Queen had resided when she had lived. When a messenger had arrived to inform him of the birth of a second son, he had returned to sleep, telling his guards not to allow anyone into the chambers unless the country had fallen. Gwangjong had refused to meet or name the Second. He later heard that the boy was named Hyo Hwa- a clear declaration that this child belonged to his mother's clans. Gwangjong did not attend the boy's funeral when he died only two years after birth.

The rest of his children were girls whose names and faces escaped his mind. Gwangjong left the Queen to raise their children, knowing that they all hated and feared him. He did not care.

On the birthdays of his children, when bells were struck and laughter echoed throughout the castle, Gwangjong recused himself and did not attend the festivities. He sent the same gifts to his children each year: one necklace and one scroll of poetry. He cared not what they did with either. He did not even know what the gifts looked like; they were purchased and sent by a servant.

Every month, when the moon was at its fullest and the stars were at their brightest, Gwangjong left whatever he was doing to sit beside a certain tree beside the lake. Servants, Ministers, soldiers, and nobility alike had been aghast when they had heard the King had sat on the plain ground, but none could do anything about the matter; the land around the tree was protected on the night the moon was fullest and no one could get near enough to see who sat by the tree.

When Gwangjong sat beneath that certain tree, he took with him a jug of sweet wine, a plate of honey glazed Yakgwa cookies, and a sheet of paper with two lines of poetry written on it. The King did not enjoy sweet food, the entire palace knew. But on that night, he drank honeyed wine and ate cookies after offering them to his only wife and queen.

Sworn to secrecy and threatened with death, his bodyguards could only listen during the first two years as their king cried against that tree, his body wracked with sobs and his cold demeanor disappearing. "Soo, Soo, Soo," he cried. Sometimes, he would begin to cry as he knelt beside the tree, other times, he began to tell a story before his voice cracked and tears fell, marring the makeup on his face and forcing him to wear a mask when he chose to return to the palace the following morning.

Only once did the King visit that tree outside of the brightest moon. On the twelfth day of the month of the Horse, he stood by the tree in the bright sunlight and did not utter a sound. On this day, the tree was not protected and any were free to go as they wished.

It was on that day that Gwangjong stood beside the tree, breathing in fresh air and swaying softly with the wind. He wore blue and white- colors not usually worn by the King- and his hair he loosened. For on that one day, he was no longer Gwangjong, but Wang So.

On the day of the sixth year since Soo had passed, Gwangjong met a small child with big eyes and clumsy feet. Even with large, childish cheeks, her chin was too angled and her nose too pointy. She smiled and laughed and sat down on the ground where Wang So stood, touching the grass.

So then saw his brother rushing toward them, bowing as he collected the girl in his arms. "I apologize, your Majesty," Jung declared, protecting the girl with his body. Fear was the only thing So saw on Jung.

And the pieces placed themselves in So's mind. The dates, the child, her age, and… _her_. The too big eyes that stared into one's soul, the clumsy feet that knocked into him, and the hairpin that was too expensive for a child of any birth below nobility to ever own. She had _her_ eyes and lips, and So's nose and chin.

Seol, she was named. Snow. The purest snow, Soo had named their daughter after.

Gwangjong knew that he could not claim the child as his own no matter how much his heart yearned to do so. He could not bring Seol into the palace to live with him as a Princess. He could not take her far away on adventures he would have taken her mother.

Instead, when Seol came to visit, under the pretense of returning love to his forgiven brother, Gwangjong became So once more. He held the girl's hand, walked with her, and spoke with her. He kissed her little cheeks when she fell and cried, and hugged her when she was sad.

One week every half year, Seol would come with her father to the Capital. They would also visit once every two months, but for only a day, and also when So invited them.

During those visits, So felt his liveliness return. He lavished gifts upon Seol and doted on her, smiling any time she called for him. "Uncle, Uncle!" she would cry, pointing at frogs, cats, and clouds that looked like dogs. So had forbidden Jung from referring to him as the King when Seol was around until she was of a certain age. To her, he was an uncle with a big house.

The Queen was furious, but what could she do? The child cried "uncle" to the King and he only smiled and obliged her every want and need. He left the castle on her birthday to visit her in her home and give her gifts that Jung tried to refuse. He knew her full name. He knew her day of birth. He knew what her favorite color was; what food she liked; what she disliked; what she feared; what she loved. The Queen could only watch in defeat as the King doted upon his niece more than any of his direct descendants.

Of course, there were whispers. Why would a king love his brother's child more than his own? Why should the king send a gold dragon statue and a tame wolf pup to the girl when he only gave his son a necklace and a scroll on their birthdays?

Perhaps a deal had been struck between the brothers. Perhaps Gwangjong would marry the girl once she grew and in return, he would forgive his brother of sin. Perhaps the King found his own daughter hideous to look upon. Perhaps the stars foretold her fate. No one but the King and his brother knew their true relationship.

So watched his daughter grow and flourish. He watched his features diminish and Soo's features rise in their daughter as she grew taller and even more beautiful. He glared at the letters sent by Jung when she had first been caught running off with some boy. So resisted sending a militia to protect her from boys.

When Seol turned sixteen, she sent So a poem for his birthday and a painting of Soo's tree and the lake behind it. So commissioned a frame for the painting, keeping it in his bedroom. The poem, he folded and placed inside his robes, over his heart.

On her eighteenth birthday, So secretly tripled the dowry Jung had set forth for her to take to the man she loved- a noble from the Wol Sung Kims who had been fostered in Jung's household. So attended her wedding even when he had ignored the marriage of the Crown Prince and a Princess'. He attended the festivities and later sat by the tree and told an animated story to Soo about their daughter and how much she had grown.

Two years after Seol's marriage, So accepted an invitation to visit Wol Sung and met Jung there. His younger brother presented him with a baby boy, declaring Seol had given birth to her first child.

Tears fell from the King's eyes as the little boy with Soo's round eyes frowned at him. The King pressed a kiss to his grandnephew's forehead, holding the baby close and rocking him gently.

"Name him, your Majesty. A boy's grandfather should be the one to name him," Seol said, her smile endless. So looked up in shock as Jung bowed his head with a small smile. "Name your grandson, Father."

Chun, So named the boy. "Chun," the heavens and the sky. The same sky Soo and So had spent gazing up at, he named their grandson after. Unable to bestow the Wang name or princehood upon the baby, So named him and hoped Soo would smile.

Seol only visited so often after the birth of her baby, but each time, she brought Chun. She would walk with So and Jung, Chun in So's arms. They would speak of the passing months and visit Soo's grave. There, they sat upon a blanket and So held Chun against his chest.

Four years later, Seol, Chun, and Jung stood by the King's bedside as he wrote a declaration, abdicating his throne to Wang Ju.

A smile on his face, Wang So kissed his brother's cheek and then his daughter's forehead, wiping her tears. He hugged his grandson and whispered his final words, "At last. At last. I go to her at last."


	2. The Sun Will Rise

**Originally, I wasn't going to post this, but a lovely person by the name of bebepantheon left me such lovely messages that as a holiday and final exam gift, I'm posting one last one-shot for this story. I thank you all for your lovely comments and please know that I read each and every one of them. Thank you for your love and happy holidays. xoxo**

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Seol liked going to her Uncle So's house only because he always smiled at her and threw her into the air like Father did. Uncle had stronger arms than Father, so he could toss her higher, but Father had better legs, so he could kick things farther and run faster. Uncle didn't seem to like running, but it might have been because of the fancy robes he always wore. Seol giggled at thought of Uncle tripping over his heavy clothes.

No one else in the castle seemed to like Seol even though she tried to be nice and ladylike like her teacher had taught her to be. Whenever she greeted people while she was with Father, they said nothing and left, whispering things that made Father block Seol's ears. Of course, some people asked Father about marriage, but Seol wrinkled her nose at the thought of anyone being her new mother. She had a painting of Mother in the hallway at home and Seol thought no one could be more beautiful than Mother. When she was with Uncle, they bowed low and deep as if she were a princess. Seol always found it funny when adults bowed to her.

Seol only played with Father and Uncle when they were at Uncle's house because Uncle never let her meet her cousins or her aunt. She had once heard Uncle and Father discussing them with worried voices. "- will hurt her and I will kill them all with my bare hands if any lays a finger on Seol," Uncle had whispered. Seol didn't understand what that really meant, but she knew the word "kill." Father had said it to her after he saw her stomping on ants, telling her it was wrong to do so. She hoped Uncle wouldn't stomp on her cousins. That wouldn't be nice or ladylike and Seol's governess would have to reprimand him.

When she was at Uncle's house, she always stayed in the same house as Uncle even though there were so many other big places she and Father could stay.

Seol's room was right in front of Uncle's and was so much larger than her room at home. But she usually got scared at night in the big room, so she snuck into Father or Uncle's rooms and climbed into their beds. Neither seemed to mind, but Father looked sad whenever he found Seol in Uncle's room, so she tried to stay with Father when she could, but sometimes it was too dark and the scary men at the doors were too tall.

One day, she walked through Uncle's house, looking at the paintings and shiny things. They had lots of artwork at home because Father's other brother was an artist and liked to come and play with Seol. There was even a painting of her as a baby in Father's room. He said she was the most beautiful thing in the world, but she thought she looked red and ugly. Like a pomegranate.

Seol touched a golden dragon statue, marveling at how shiny it was. There was a jade ball in its mouth and its eyes were sparkling red rocks. She liked how it seemed to move and wave.

She usually ate breakfast with Father and sometimes with Uncle, but today, Father was working and Uncle had not appeared, so Seol wandered, her tummy grumbling.

The men that stood by the doors were no help. They refused to talk when Seol asked questions, giving boring answers that only adults gave.

"Where is Uncle?" she asked one in silver metal clothes. He looked funny and Seol wanted to tell him silk was more comfortable than metal.

"Majesty is unavailable," replied a man. Seol got annoyed. She was talking about Uncle So but these people only wanted to talk about some stupid old "Majesty."

"Why isn't Uncle playing with me? I'm bored and hungry!"

"His Majesty is a very busy man."

Huffing, Seol stomped around until she was well and truly lost. She took a turn and then went into a room. She turned again and again until she found herself in a place she had never seen.

She turned when she heard a sound- the sound of someone breathing deeply and sniffling. Curious, she followed the noise until she was even more lost and the noise was louder. Pressing her ear against the paper frame of the door across from her, she listened as someone cried in the other room.

Seol immediately opened to door to find out who it was.

She gasped when she saw Uncle sitting in a chair, a mirror in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, tears making wet lines down his face and pulling off what looked like paint. She saw red lines streaking his eye and cheek that looked like they hurt. Seol pressed her hands against her mouth as Uncle dropped the mirror and used his hand to cover the marks on his face. "S-Seol," he said, wiping his face and clearing his throat. "I- I- Uncle is just…"

He looked like how Father had looked when Seol was sick. Like he thought she was going to go away. He looked silly, but Seol knew she had to tell the old man she wasn't going away because adults were strange and thought she was just going to disappear.

Stepping forward, she lowered her hands from her mouth. "Are you sad, Uncle?" she asked softly. Seol was too short to reach her uncle even if he was in a chair, so she climbed up, holding onto Uncle's black robes.

Her uncle never wore black when he was with her, but she thought he looked nice even though he looked sad. "Uncle, are you hurting?" she asked softly, touching his shoulders with her hands.

Uncle's eyes were red and leaking tears. He bit his bottom lip the way Seol did when she was trying not to cry after being punished. "Uncle is fine. I just miss someone, S-Soo-Seo…"

"My name is Seol," she smiled, in case Uncle had forgotten. "And when I'm sad, Father does this," she leaned in and kissed Uncle's bare cheek. Then, she tried to kiss his other, but he moved away.

"It's alright," Uncle said hurriedly. "I'm alright."

Crossing her arms, Seol pouted. "You're not alright until you get your 'feel better kisses,'" she declared, using her hands to push his hands away. He fought at first, but Seol was stronger than Uncle and she freed his hand off of his face.

Before she could kiss his other cheek, Seol looked at the red lines on Uncle's face. Reaching a finger out, she gently followed the lines, watching Uncle close his eyes and shiver when her fingertip moved up his nose and to his forehead. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

"No, little one," Uncle replied. "But are you not afraid?" he asked, his eyes opening again.

 _Silly Uncle,_ Seol thought. Adults cared too much about their looks. _Why would I be afraid?_

"Uncle, I'm not afraid of you. You're not a big bad wolf that's going to eat me. You're Uncle and you're nice and funny." Pursing her lips, Seol kissed Uncle's cheek and then his hurt eye and then his forehead. "There," she declared, putting her hands on her hips. "Now that I've kissed you, you're all better and you won't hurt anymore, but you have to eat well and sleep well because if you don't, you'll get sick- and I don't want a sick uncle." She looked down her nose at Uncle as he pressed his hand against his chin. "Sick uncles can't throw me high," she added for good measure.

Then, Uncle smiled. He gave a huffy laugh. "So bossy," he muttered. "Just like your mother." Seol smiled and nodded.

"I'm gonna be just like her," she declared. "Except her name was Hae Soo and I'm Wang Seol."

"That she was," Uncle sighed, looking straight into Seol's eyes. "Wang Seol…" He raised an eyebrow when Seol's belly grumbled. "You must be hungry," his eyes widened.

Nodding, Seol opened her arms as Uncle picked her up and stood. "I apologize for making you wait so long. I knew Jung was going to be away, so you must have had no one to eat with you," he said, opening a drawer for something.

Seol giggled when Uncle pulled a mask on top of the marks on his face. It was gold and had a black dragon on it. "You look scary, but I'm not afraid of you," she laughed, poking the cold metal with her fingers.

Uncle smiled. "Good. I would hate it if you were afraid and couldn't come to play," he said. "But enough of that," he declared. "We both need breakfast and I think we can have Yugwa cookies since your... since Jung is away."

Seol nodded and hugged Uncle's neck. He smelled like the trees behind their home and the rose oil Father said used to belong to Mother. Cookies for breakfast sounded amazing and they would taste even better because Uncle was with her.

They were best friends, after all. Wang So and Wang Seol.


	3. While the Little Bird Sings

**A/N: Oh God, why am I updating this story? I thought I was done with it, but apparently not.** **I wrote this because I got stuck on DELMGA. So, here's a ton of angst and Daddy issues wrapped up in a bundle of father-son bonding time.**

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"Your Majesty," Wang Ju looked up at his father on the throne. The King wore black and gold, his crown sitting by his side. White and black hairs intermingled within Gwangjong's topknot and gold earrings drifted down his ears. Ju thought his father looked every inch a King and emperor. He thought his father looked powerful… and it was that power that Ju feared.

"What is it, Prince?" asked the King as he placed his royal seal onto a document. "Why do you bother me?" Gwangjong sat back to raise an irked eyebrow at his son as an attendant removed the stamped document and proceeded to set a new order of business before the King. Even as an adult, Ju felt shivers run down his spine as Gwangjong's steely gaze rested on him.

Swallowing, Ju held his hands stiffly by his side so his father would not see him fidget. "One hundred days ago, my wife birthed a son," he stated simply. A seasoned warrior and a good fighter, Ju did not fear anyone except for his father. "Wolf Dog" they called him. In his youth, Gwangjong had been a fearsome warrior and a fearsome foe with a temper as violent as his blood lust. He had been known to kill fifty men at a time and had once even destroyed a mountain in one of his angry fits. Rumors swirled over how many he had killed in one time, and there was the ever present whisper that the King pretended to be old instead of wielding a sword as he had in his youth. Ju knew better than to speak of such slander and incite his father's wrath.

Ju flinched when his father's seal fell onto another document with a loud _thunk_ , marking it in red ink. The sudden noise jolted him and in his anticipation, he twitched nervously.

Gwangjong removed his seal from the document and placed it back onto its holder. "So I've heard," he said, accepting another scroll from an attendant. "A son will carry your line."

Ju nodded, holding his head a bit higher. Was this his father's way of finally acknowledging him? "Thank you, Majesty," he declared. His voice echoed as he continued. "I have come to ask that you name my son. A grandfather should name his grandchild." Ju knew he was taking a risk asking his father for a name.

His own name, Ju, was legally written in the King's own hand as "the liar." His mother had decreed any writing Ju's name in that character would be hanged. After years of fighting and butting heads with scholars, the castle now believed that Ju's name meant "the descendant".

Gwangjong's stony eyes met Ju's.

"Do you not you see how busy I am?" he asked. "I have no time to go to your chambers and name your child. Relay my congratulations to your wife and leave."

"Please, Father," Ju sent a pleading look at Gwangjong whose eyes flashed. Flinching, he amended his words. " _Your Majesty_ , please, just one name." Holding his hands out, he begged his father for a chance. "I heard you named my cousin's son. Why can you not name mine? Do you place your brother's daughter over your own son?"

Gwangjong scoffed, staring the Prince down. "Don't grovel. You shame yourself," sneered the King. "Leave me and go name your own son. A man should be able to do trivial things like that. How can you claim to want to be King when you come and beg me for everything? Is this how you were raised? To beg and plead whenever you don't get what you want?"

Ju's first reaction was a flash of anger that shot through him and a wave of jealousy that followed. What was his cousin other than a disgraced Uncle's daughter? What did she have that he did not as a prince? What was so different about Yoo Seol that Gwangjong had personally gone to Wolsung to name her child? Why was his cousin so special?

Steeling his nerves, Ju faced his father and stood tall once more, unwilling to budge from his spot. He swallowed thickly and faced his greatest fear. He would do this for his son. His child would be named by the king.

"Majesty, Yoo Seol may have married into your loyal vassal's family, but this does not change that her son is worth less than mine. Hers will become a lord if he is lucky, but my son will one day rule Goryeo," Ju declared. He had had enough of his father's preferential treatment. He stopped himself from flinching when Gwangjong leered down at him, opting to continue his tirade.

"As your son and firstborn, I will carry your name as well as the mighty powers of the houses Yoo and Hwang Bo. I am the grandson of Taejo Wang Geon and the son of King Gwangjong and Queen Daemok. What is my cousin worth? She is a Yoo and a Hae. Her might only goes as far as my Uncle Jung and some palace bitch-"

Ju's eyes could not decipher the flash of movement that occurred from Gwangjong's table, but he registered the blunt object that collided with his face and sent him toppling backwards, a fiery pain erupting across his features.

He collapsed instantly, the back of his head ramming into the floor. A scroll clattered beside him and black spots clouded his vision as his ears began to ring.

When Ju's vision returned, he was laying on the floor of the throne room, staring up at the point of a sword held by none other than the King himself. In that moment, Ju realized what they had meant when they called Gwangjong "Wolf Dog". The king's eyes glinted black and his mouth opened in a sneer, revealing sharp white canines. His black robes swirled about him and the golden dragon on his chest seemed to roar in fury.

"You must not have been paying attention to your history lessons if you don't know of my relationship to Seol's family," Gwangjong sneered as he set the tip of his blade against the prince's cheek. The cold steel kissed Ju's skin and he shuddered. "I've killed my own brothers. What makes you think you're any different?"

Opening and closing his mouth, Ju realized his mistake too late and he held his hands up in defeat. "P-please, Fath- Majesty. I-I'm your son. I'm your son."

His black eyes reflected no mercy and in that moment, Ju thought they looked primal and untamed. Gwangjong scoffed and tapped the tip of Ju's nose with his sword, unimpressed. "You're nothing but a squirt of seed into the Queen's cunt." He pointed to the emblem on Ju's blue robes with his sword. "Without that dragon on your chest, you're nothing. I could make ten more of you tonight and this time, I wouldn't have to listen to your mother complain." Gwangjong seethed down at the Prince with malice in his eyes. "Know that the only reason I won't kill you tonight is because you will return to your home and name your son on your own."

The King stepped away from the fallen Prince, swinging the sword with one hand in a haphazard way. "Prince, you are a disgrace to the names of the families that have birthed you. Pay more attention to history if you wish to petition a request of me."

Dismissed from the throne room, Ju stepped out to where his mother stood, furiously glaring at where the King sat. She looked at Ju and in that moment, he was a child again and his mother's fury receded as she touched his face. "Ju, my child, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed before shouting for a doctor. "What did the King do to you?"

Ju ignored his mother in favor of replaying the King's words in his mind. _"You're nothing… a squirt of seed in the Queen's cunt… ten more of you… disgrace..."_ The haunting words echoed in his mind, tearing a hole in his chest and digging deeper the pit of longing in his heart. All he had wanted was Gwangjong's favor and repeating his mother's words had only proved to be dangerous.

Reaching a hand up to his own face, Ju touched his nose and felt where the blood flowed down his lips and chin. "Oh," was all he said. The physical pain that emanated from his face was nothing compared to the emotional agony that coursed through him… as well as the hatred that seeped into his bones.

He hated them. All of them. Uncle Wang Baek Ah, Uncle Wang Jung, the Wolsung Kim's and especially, Yoo Seol. Ju despised each and every one of them for taking his father away from him and replacing Wang So with Gwangjong. He hated them for knowing a side of the King that Ju had only heard about in his mother's stories.

Watching blood trickle down his long fingers, Ju imagined it was the blood of his cousin that coated his hand. Chuckling, he imagined he had cut down Yoo Seol, her husband Kim Jin, and her brat Kim Chun with his sword. He imagined that after he got rid of them, his father could only divert his love and attention to Ju. Oh how proud Gwangjong would be of him- proud enough to name his son. Proud enough to take him in his arms and hug him tightly the way Ju had once spied Gwangjong doing to Seol. Proud enough to finally love him.

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From inside the throne room, the King listened as hysterical laughs rang from outside the hall, echoing off the hollow rooms and lonely halls of the palace. Short, static breaths of deranged giggles collapsed into pent sobs and agonized howls. Gwangjong scoffed, "Was there ever any doubt that you are not the Wolf Dog's whelp?"

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 **A/N: So, if Gwangjong seems like Robert Baratheon, that was intentional. We both know who Cersei and Lyanna are in this allusion. I was reading A Game of Thrones before I wrote this. I have no regrets.**


	4. The Master and His Dogs

**The goddamn Patriots won the Super Bowl. #cannot**

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 _"Once upon a time," said Hae Soo, the King's head cradled in her lap, "there was a man with two dogs." Her hands drifted through the long black hair that flowed like a waterfall over her knees, brushing and untangling. "One dog was beautiful and had bright yellow fur like spun gold. It was diligent and had only lived with its master for a month. The other dog was old and decrepit. It had rough, black fur that was matted and the dog was missing many teeth."_

 _With closed eyes, Wang So listened to the soothing chime of his Soo's voice, his arms crossed and a smile plainly written across his features. "The beautiful dog worked and worked hard. It was the talk of the town. 'How beautiful and diligent that dog is!' people would exclaim. 'Its master must love it very much!'_

 _"Each day, the beautiful dog went to its master to greet him, but each day, the master shunned the new dog," said Soo. "The master only had eyes for the old and ugly dog that walked with a limp. It was useless as a guard dog, for one of its eyes was missing, and it could not herd anything because of its aching joints, yet the master loved and cherished that old, old dog._

 _"The beautiful dog was envious. Why did the master only favor the dog that did nothing? Killing it would have been a mercy. Why did their master not love the young dog that was as beautiful as it was hard working?_

 _"One day, the young dog asked its master-"_

 _"The dog can talk?" asked So suddenly, his eyes opening. Soo paused to purse her lips at the interruption._

 _"Just listen," she chided before continuing. "The young dog asked its master: 'Why do you keep such an old dog beside you? That dog is useless and cannot do anything worth a price. It cannot eat because it has no teeth and you, Master, must feed it porridge with your own hand. Each day you lose money tending to that old dog. Why do you not replace that dog with me? I can herd; I can guard. I can howl; I can run. My fur shines like gold and my teeth are white like pearls.'_

 _"The master gazed down at his younger dog with a shake of his head. 'Little one,' said he, 'you are beautiful, yes, but are you not also just a dog? Don't you do what any other dog can do? Any dog can bark and howl in its prime and any dog can run and guard.'_

 _"Perplexed, the young dog asked again. 'Then why do you not rid yourself of that old dog? It has become a hindrance due to its age.'_

 _"The master reached out to touch the young dog," Soo carded her fingers through So's hair as if to demonstrate. "'Little one,' said the master, 'were you there when I tried to end my existence in a freezing river? Were you the dog that bit my hand and held me back from jumping to my death? I keep the old dog because I am in its debt, for it has saved my life not once but twice. I keep the old dog because time and time again, it has proven to stay by my side during trying times and during peace. It has done something no other dog can do, and thus, is rewarded.'_

 _"The young dog finally understood, and it bowed its head. 'Master,' said he, 'let me work hard to earn the favor that you have for the old dog so that when it dies, I will be there to take its place.'_

 _"The master only smiled and shook his head. 'Little one, could you truly do that? I have no wish to die anymore and my life is plentiful. I need only a dog that will guard and herd- not another companion. Try as you may, you will not become my companion in this lifetime. Here, you will only be a dog.' And the master patted the young dog before returning to the old. The end," said Soo._

 _She looked down at So whose dark eyes fluttered open. "I don't understand," he frowned. "Why not put down the old dog? It may have saved its master's life, but it's still an old thing that has lost its purpose."_

 _Chuckling, Soo continued to brush her lover's hair. "Because there was sentiment between them. The old dog saved its master not once, but twice," she quoted the story and rested a palm against So's cheek, gently caressing his face with the pad of her thumb._

 _So smiled up at her, his own hand moving upwards to touch her face. "Sentiment is for fools," he said as their eyes met. For a second, there was nothing to say and there was no one but her. So gazed into the doe eyes that smiled down at him like a warm sunbeam._

 _He laughed when Soo burst into giggles. She pressed her hand to his as she smiled. "We must be fools, then," she sighed between her laughs._

 _"I'd rather be a fool with you than a wise man alone," replied So as he snaked his hand behind Soo's neck and pulled her down for a kiss..._

Gwangjong jolted awake, his eyes opening and his voice calling out a name. "Soo!" he shouted into the night. Two candles flickered at his sudden outburst, threatening to extinguish the only light in the room. Wang So panted as he waited for the calm hands that would reach out to touch him; for the soft voice that would tell him that she was there. He waited for _her_.

Frantically, he looked from left to right, searching for the one who slept beside him. He pulled blankets aside and tossed pillows, but there was no one next to him in the vast emptiness of his bed. Realization washed over him in torrents.

Gone. She was gone. She had gone away so many years ago.

Grasping at his aching chest, So bit back sobs as tears fell from his tired eyes. "Soo," he moaned, his fist beating at the tearing agony that shattered him piece by piece. "Soo," he called her name as if she were in the room beside his, ready to come to him and remind him she was still there. "Soo," he whispered, salty tears dripping from the tip of his nose and onto the blanket.

He sat on the floor beside the bed, the same place Soo had once fallen asleep waiting for him. How long had she waited? How many years had she stayed loyal to him?

Touching the place where her head had once rested, So placed his head against the bedframe and wiped his eyes. He knew Soo would not want him to grieve so many years after her death… and yet, when night fell and So retreated to his chambers alone, his thoughts fell only to her and how much he had wronged her. How she had waited for him for so long and how he had been too late.

In his bedroom, he was no longer a ruler or king. In the bedroom where he and Soo had made Seol, he was just Wang So. Only in that bedroom was he just a man and a father. Outside, he was the King and an uncle. Soo would not have wanted it that way. Soo would have wanted him to be both King and father, but she also had not wanted their daughter to enter the palace and So finally knew why. He had seen just how lonely of a place it was and felt foolish for having once made it his only goal to live in the palace with his family.

His family was now gone or scattered like leaves in the wind. Some came to visit, but otherwise, So was alone in the vast castle that he called home. He was alone and it was his own fault.

Tears fell like rain off the slopes of the King's face.

* * *

So walked with his daughter, his hands held behind his back. In the warm spring air, they strolled amongst flowers and blossoming trees. Black silks intermingled with violet and So admired the dress he had commissioned just for Seol on her birthday. The dye had taken over a month to acquire due to the rarity of its origin, but seeing Seol walking around in the purple and gold skirt brought a smile to So's face. It was a gown fit for a queen.

"You know, your mother once sprayed me with water over there." Pointing to a patch of flowers, So chuckled. "There I was, sleeping and minding my own business when Hae Soo came and completely drenched me."

Seol giggled prettily, her cheeks blushing in the sun. So smiled when his daughter smiled and he laughed when she laughed. "Father says my mother was feisty and did not like rules."

"You inherited that from her," So sighed. "Remember when you were little? You would stomp around the castle and demand to see me because you were bored and hungry. Can you imagine a little girl demanding to see the King? Even the highest ministers and the mightiest generals would never have the audacity to shout for me and cry if I was busy."

He laughed when Seol's blush deepened. So found that one of his favorite pastimes was embarrassing his daughter. "That was before I knew you were the king, your Majesty," she groaned, pressing her hands to her flaming cheeks.

"Of all my subjects, you are probably the most brazen and mannerless," So pursed his lips and nodded serenely, trying not to smile as Seol's mouth opened in indignation. She looked so much like Soo when she was surprised or angry.

"Uncle!" she protested. "I've grown up! I don't act like that anymore!"

"Of course you don't," So placated his daughter with a gentle pat to her shoulder, "...just when you're hungry." He burst into laughter when Seol ducked her head in embarrassment, her expressions plainly written across her features.

From afar, Wang Ju watched as his father strolled with his cousin. It had been a day since she had arrived and during that time, Ju had not seen his father anywhere but by her side.

Sitting on a tree branch, Ju leaned his back against the bark of the tree, the book in his hands forgotten. Hidden amongst the foliage of the gingko trees, Ju spied on his father as he walked with his cousin.

They acted like best friends, Wang So and Wang Seol. Ju's father laughed when he was with Seol- not the cold sarcastic laughs Ju had grown up hearing, but a genuine deep laugh that came from his stomach and left the King gasping for breath. Ju had never heard his father laugh like that.

He watched the swish of purple silk and wondered what his mother thought about the obviously expensive gift the King had given to Wang Seol. Purple silk as dark as that was no commodity. It screamed money and prestige. Even the Queen had trouble procuring purples of that shade, and yet, Wang Seol had no trouble walking beside the King in the dress he had provided.

It did not help that she was beautiful- more so than his sisters. Wang Seol's hair was closer to brown than black. Her eyes were wide like a doe's and her smile a shining pink. Her chin and nose resembled Wang Jung's: sharp and elongated. She was just the right height and her small face was pale and creamy in complexion. She had a woman's body and wore the beautiful clothes the King gifted to her with ease.

Why the King sought the company of Wang Jung's daughter, Ju had no idea- and evidently- neither did the castle. It was true that Seol's mother had once been the King's mistress, but she had left the King to marry Wang Jung before giving birth to Seol and then promptly dying. It was apparently true that the King had only ever loved his mistress. Ju could not recall the last time his parents had amiably spoken to each other, and his mother was constantly grumbling about "that Hae Whore." So what made the child of the mistress that had betrayed him so appeasing to the King?

Ju did not deny that he was jealous. Him, the Crown Prince, the man destined to be king of all Goryeo, was jealous of a girl whose only assets were her looks, her name, and the King's favor. He had never spoken to Wang Seol… and yet, he wanted to _be_ her.

Ju wanted to be with his father. He wanted to walk with the King and joke and laugh until neither of them could breathe. He wanted to have picnics with his father and uncles. He wanted to stand by and watch as Uncle Jung and Wang So had archery competitions. He wanted to give his father gifts without watching them get tossed to the side without a second thought.

* * *

Later in the day, Seol sat on the wood dais outside her temporary home, her socked feet swinging over the edge. She could hear crickets chirping in the night as a calm breeze swept her unbound hair. "Seol, come inside before it gets too late," she heard her father call.

"I will!" she said in return, listening to the door shut.

Lanterns swung in the distance and Seol could make out the bridges and walkways that connected the homes within the walled gates of the castle. They floated in like fireflies, swaying in the spring breeze. Soon, the sun would set and each lantern would be lit.

With the approach of night, Seol's favorite time of day would arrive- when her uncle would visit to tell her stories- stories about vain princesses, lonely gods, and heroes whose names were forever etched into the astral beings in the sky.

A rustle jerked Seol's head around and she turned to see a person in dark clothing jumping down from the tree closest to her. With wide eyes, she stood, preparing to scream. "Don't scream, it's just me," snapped the person.

The man stood and then, Seol saw it. The twin dragons on the front of his robes. This person was not her Uncle, so there was only one explanation as to who this was. He looked about her age, and his expression looked so much like her Uncle's.

Standing, Seol bowed, closing her open mouth and pressing her hands to her stomach. "Wang Seol greets the Prince," she said quietly.

"Rise," the Prince's voice sounded bored as he moved to sit on the platform she had just been on. He used his arms to hoist himself up before patting the spot beside him. "Sit."

Seol followed orders. She sat beside the Prince, keeping a good distance between them and eyeing the sword and scabbard the Prince held in his hand. "How may I serve you, your Majesty?" she asked softly.

Her cousin was much taller than her. His hair was tied simply and flowed down his back, and he wore the usual clothing of royalty- dark blue with twin dragons. His eyes were narrow and dark, his pursed lips a natural red. Seol thought her cousin was handsome, but his expression was solemn. "Hello," he said.

Tipping her head, Seol looked at the Prince as he traced the gold filigree on the scabbard of his sword. "Hello," she replied, slightly confused.

"We've never spoken to each other," Wang Ju said with a small laugh. "We've been cousins for fourteen years and yet, I don't even know anything about you."

Immediately, Seol warmed toward her cousin and smiled. "I've always wanted to speak to you as well, but you're never around!" Her excited voice made Ju raise an eyebrow, but he found himself softly laughing.

"I'm Wang Ju," he introduced himself without his title- a princely faux pas.

"I'm Wang Seol," she said in return.

They sat in an awkward silence until Ju cleared his throat. "Do you like the capital? I've never been to Chungju, so I can't compare the two."

Seol nodded with a smile. "The capital is beautiful and much larger than Chungju," she explained. "We don't have hundreds of lanterns in Chungju like this," she motioned out to the bright lamps that flickered from the rafters of buildings and the branches of trees. "But there are more trees in Chungju. My father planted them because he said my mother liked to walk in their shade."

Ju listened with keen ears, taking in the information Wang Seol provided. He had never exited Songak before. He had never seen anywhere but the castle and a few surrounding areas. Never Chungju.

"Do you like to play ball?" Seol asked, turning to face the Prince. Ju raised his eyebrows. "I used to play ball with our cousins, Wang Chi and Wang Gyeongchungwon, but they stopped letting me play after a few years." She sighed aloud. "I think it was because I was better than them."

Ju scoffed and shook his head with indignance. "A girl is better than a boy at playing ball? Don't be crazy," he said. He frowned when Seol looked indignant. _Was_ she better than their cousins? Ju knew Uncle Wang Jung was known for having strong legs but… could Seol have inherited her father's strength?

"I was better than them!" she insisted, her already wide eyes growing wider. Smirking, she crossed her arms. "But I guess your Majesty isn't good because he isn't challenging me. I bet I could beat you, your Majesty," she declared. Pointing to a soldier almost fifty feet away from them, she motioned for Ju to look. "I could kick a ball and knock his helmet off!"

Squinting his eyes at the guard Seol gestured towards. "You're lying," he blurted. "Even I couldn't kick that far and I'm a prince!"

"What does being a prince have to do with being good at ball?" Seol scoffed, her long hair swaying as she shook her head. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I believe all people are equal!"

Ju could only stare at the audacious girl that declared her sentiments so freely. "You talk... really loudly," he managed to utter. Seol gave a hmph before swinging her legs back and forth, kicking the train of her skirt.

They were a ludicrously normal sight- two teenage cousins sitting together, talking about something as trivial as playing ball- and yet, it was strange. One cousin was the Crown Prince of the nation, and the other was a girl with the King's utmost favor.

They watched as the sun slowly began to dip toward the ground, blazing streaks of orange and purple across the sky. Ju wondered if this was what having a friend was like. He always enjoyed the company of his sisters, but they grew chatty and annoying. He felt that Seol was different. Perhaps it was because she was his cousin.

He turned to Seol. "Do you-"

"What are you doing here?" a deep voice came from behind Ju and immediately, a cold shiver fell down the Prince's spine, raising his hackles and making him flinch. He leapt to his feet and bowed.

"The Crown Prince greets the King," he greeted the King with a shaking voice, his eyes staring down at the ground.

"Wang Seol greets the King," Seol bowed beside Ju, her hands pressed to her center. Her voice was sure and steady.

The King stood in ebony and gold with his hands behind his back. He reserved a glare for the bent form of his son and a warm smile for the bowing girl whose dark hair fell over her shoulder.

Gwangjong looked between Seol and Ju. "Has he been bothering you?" he questioned his daughter. Ju felt his blood run cold. He wondered if it was treason to run in fear.

Seol immediately looked up with a smile. "No, your Majesty," she chirped. Her hands pressed to her skirts. "I was just boring my cousin with stories of how I beat our other cousins at ball."

So frowned as Ju stood upright but kept his eyes downcast. He examined the two for any signs of a fight or scuffle. "Return to your mother, boy," he ordered the Prince.

Obedient, Ju bowed once more before turning to walk away. He took two steps before hearing a loud swish and the crackle of static on silk.

He flinched when Seol grabbed his sleeve. Ju looked with wide eyes as Seol defied the King. He stared at the pale hand that clamped onto the blue silk of his robes. "Uncle, can he stay?" she asked. "I'd like my cousin to walk with us."

There was only silence.

Seol held her breath as she continued to grasp her cousin's sleeve with all her might. She had acted out of impulse. She knew she had the King's favor, but this- this was defying a command. She had no idea how far the King's preference for her mother went, but she knew that there would be no one to help her out of the hole she had dug herself into.

Fury rose in Wang So's throat before subsiding in a wash of adoration for the wide eyes that pleaded at him. The little girl before him was her mother incarnate. She defied the King with an audacious swagger that would have resulted in death for anyone but Hae Soo and her daughter. Wang So knew he could not win against the beseeching eyes that stared at him. After all, it was those eyes he had fallen in love with in a person who had changed him long ago.

He wondered if Seol knew she had him in her palm. That she was the child of the deity he worshipped and pined for. That she was the daughter of the most beautiful being birthed by the universe. He wondered if she knew the extent of his love for his only queen and daughter.

"Wang Seol, you act too brashly for your own good," So scoffed at the girl, parental love lacing his voice. No matter how hard he tried to say "no" So could not find a way to deny his child.

"You'll get hurt acting like that," the King sighed, turning on his heel. "Come, Seol, it's time for our walk." He paused to look at the Prince. "You too. It seems your…" he slipped ever so slightly, almost tripping over his own words. He could hear Ju's footsteps quietly following behind him. "Your cousin wishes for you to walk with us. You may do so only tonight." So had no plans to ever share Seol with the Prince. He would comply once, but there would never be a second time.

And so they walked.

Three members of the royal family strolled at dusk, their silk robes casting colors of violet, gold, and blue into the night. Seol stood between the King and the Prince, her hands clasped against her skirt, holding the back slip so that she did not trip over her own dress.

She smiled up at the sky and pointed to the first stars that blinked over the dark azure of night. "Orion," she pronounced the name that had been written down in the storybook her mother had left for her. "Uncle, did you know Orion was in love with a goddess?"

Seol looked at the King who raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh?" So felt nostalgia seep into his bones when his daughter began telling the story of a moon goddess and her lover. A small smile crept against his lips but faded when So looked past his darling child.

There stood the Prince, a look of dumb surprise on his face as they walked together. There was the proof that So had been unfaithful to his queen. There was the living, breathing result of So's infidelity to the woman he loved.

So wanted nothing more than to walk alone with his daughter. There were only so many times in the year he could be with his baby girl. When he could walk with her and listen to her tell the same stories Soo had told him fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen years ago- long before Seol was even conceived.

Seol seemed oblivious to the King's scrutiny of the Prince. She walked steadily, taking measured steps that had been trained into her feet from a young age. Seol looked at her uncle, meeting eyes with the older man. The King smiled at her and poked her cheek with the tip of his finger. Like her mother, Seol's cheeks were soft beneath So's hand and blushed easily.

In the serenity of night, with crickets chirping and paper lamps swinging on metal holders, Wang So said nothing to send the Prince away. Instead, he spent an evening with his first and second born children, wondering how different life would be if both had been born of Hae Soo.


	5. Seola

**How to read: First, read the whole thing. Then, if you want to, go back and read everything without the italicized flashbacks. It'll feel more fluffy and less sad if you do that.**

 **AU where So read Soo's letters and made it in time**

* * *

"Papa, can you tell me a story?"

Gwangjong looked down at his daughter as she curled against his leg, holding the silk of his tunic. He smiled down at the child before pulling the yellow blankets higher over her shoulders.

"What shall I tell you about?" he asked, pulling his robes so he could completely sit on the bed. His hand reached to touch her silken hair, brushing the flyaway strands and running his thumb over the baby fuzz on her forehead and cheeks.

Seol pursed her lips, her wide eyes blinking rapidly. "Where did I come from?" she asked.

Gwangjong raised an eyebrow and frowned. _Does she want to know about… how we made her?_ He peered down at his six-year-old daughter before coughing and glancing away. _Am I supposed to- dammit, this should have been Soo's job. What do I- Where's Baek Ah when you need him? How do you explain sex to a child?_

"What do you-"

"Because," Seol sat up, "I don't have a Mama but Ju has one and people say the queen isn't my Mama. You said my Mama's in the skyland." Gwangjong raised his eyebrows as he realized what his daughter meant. "Where did Seol come from if she has no Mama?"

Chuckling, Gwangjong laid down onto his daughter's mattress and pulled her against him, feeling his little princess curl close to him. Her white pajamas created a single spot against his blue robes. So knew how much had craved his parents' attention as a child. Now, he had a child to bestow all of his love upon.

He knew he would not tell her the real story of her birth. How he had received Soo's letters and gone to Chungju to see her. How he had stayed in Chungju during the final months of her pregnancy and held her hand as she birthed their child, ignoring the midwives tittering that it was terrible luck for a man to be in the birthing chamber. He would not tell his child about how her mother had passed before she had even turned one hundred days. He would not tell Seol how Soo had begged him not to bring her into the palace… yet he had.

Gwangjong remembered his bodyguards holding Jung back after Soo's funeral. His brother had roared that Soo was his wife and Seol was his child. He had tried to claim the only two things the king ever cared about.

 _"She's my wife! Your majesty is cruel and sadistic! How could you take my wife and child away from me! What crime have I committed to warrant this punishment?!"_

Baek Ah had been there, carrying Seol in his arms as Gwangjong held the jade urn that carried Soo's ashes. Gwangjong remembered there being tears in his brother's eyes as he begged Jung to stop fighting him.

 _"Enough, Jung! You know who Soo would have wanted to be with! You know that child belongs with her father! Leave them be!"_

In the end, he had won. Gwangjong had left Songak with a broken heart and thoughts of Hae Soo. He had returned with a gaping chasm in his chest that would be filled by the little child he held in his arms.

Sighing, Gwangjong rubbed his chin. "Mama's name was Hae Soo and Papa loved her so so much," he began.

"Was she pretty?" his daughter asked, her voice laced with childlike hopefulness.

Gwangjong chuckled and nodded. "She was beautiful. You look a lot like her, you know." He tapped Seol's nose with the tip of his finger. "Of course, you act more like her than I might like. Always getting into trouble," he smirked as the girl giggled.

"Well, Mama was once living in this castle," he continued, gazing down at Seol's wide eyes. His daughter was preoccupied tracing the dragon on his chest to see him, but he continued.

"Was Mama a princess like me?" Seol asked. "Or was she like Queen Daemok?"

Gwangjong bit his lips as bitter memories resurfaced. He covered those foul thoughts in sugar, trying to erase the existence of the queen from his mind. He was with Seol. He did not want anything tainting their moments. "No," he chuckled. "Mama was not a princess, but she was a queen. She was Papa's only queen and she also was the head of Damiwon and she was very very good at her job.

"Your Mama loved her work and she always enjoyed helping people. But… Papa made mistakes. Papa trusted some wrong people and thought they would help Mama, but they didn't."

He stared up at the wooden beams of Seol's ceiling as he recanted old memories from over a decade ago. "So Mama became sad and… after Papa stopped being So and became Gwangjong, she left with baby Seol in her belly."

Gwangjong chuckled when Seol looked down at her stomach. "I fit?" she asked, frowning.

Pressing a finger to Seol's stomach, the king tickled her. "She always said you were snug and happy inside her," he smiled. Seol giggled and crawled away from him as he tickled her. Gwangjong reached to pick his daughter up before placing her beside him. "Bedtime. You can't leave this bed until tomorrow," he decided.

"Keep telling me the story," Seol replied, her mouth opening in a yawn. She laid down beside him and Gwangjong began to rub her back, remembering how Seol's wet nurse had soothed her as a baby. He chuckled at the little girl's audacity to tell a king what to do.

"Seol, you grew inside Mama until it looked like she was hiding an urn in her skirts. Then, one day you decided you were too snug inside Mama's belly and wanted to come out. So out you came."

 _Soo had screamed. She had initially wailed in pain, clutching onto him with bony fingers and sobbing against his shoulder. He had wanted to cry with her, holding her frail body as it prepared to deliver their child. She had screamed until her voice departed into strained hisses, tears streaming from her eyes. Gwangjong had held a vase to her chin as she vomited. He had rubbed her back, feeling the skin stretched over bone and biting back sobs as Soo's body betrayed her, bringing even more agony onto one who had suffered too much._

"You were the ugliest baby I ever saw," Gwangjong grinned. "With lots of black hair and a voice stronger than Baek Ah's, you were born during a thunderstorm, and your cries quieted the gods of the sky themselves."

 _The baby had been born as lightning crashed around them. She had been wet and pink, a scrawny thing with a strangely shaped head. Gwangjong had watched the midwives place the baby onto Soo's bare chest. He had listened to her first wails and watched as Soo kissed their baby… and he had cried. Gwangjong had wanted to hate the baby for bringing Soo so much pain, but tears had fallen from his eyes as he beheld the most beautiful thing he had ever helped to create. He had insisted on cutting the line that connected the baby to Soo, using a knife to sever the connection. Then, after she had been dressed in the robe Soo had stitched, Gwangjong held the tiny princess in his arms._

"Papa, that's mean," Seol whined, patting his arm. "I'm pretty! I was a pretty baby!"

Gwangjong turned toward his daughter before nodding. "Hm? Oh- well, I guess you weren't the ugliest," he relented.

"Was Ju prettier than me?" Seol asked.

 _I never saw Ju as an infant_ , Gwangjong thought. _I was hunting when your brother was born_. "I can't remember," he smiled.

He continued as Seol's eyelids began to droop. "After you were born, Mama stayed for a few weeks to get to know you, but she was…" he trailed off as his voice cracked. Gwangjong peered down at his tired daughter as her eyes fluttered open. "Mama was sick. So she told Papa to take very good care of you and became a star in the sky."

 _"Promise me, your Majesty," Soo had begged. "Please don't take our child to Songak. Let her live here in peace. Let her be happy and without the burden of the castles against her back. Please entrust her to Jung. Please." Gwangjong had agreed, kissing Soo's forehead and willing her to sleep. He had held her weak body against his, trying to warm her and keep her as comfortable as possible throughout the long nights._

"Will Mama come back when she feels better?" Seol asked, yawning. She rubbed her eyes and Gwangjong kissed his daughter's forehead. "I always feel better the day after my belly hurts," she explained.

Smiling, the king held the Princess close, feeling the tiny pitter of her heart against his. "I don't think Mama will be coming back. She left because of wounds that would never heal. I'll tell you more about her when you're older. Papa promised to take care of you, so that's why Seol is here in Songak."

 _Yeon Hwa had thrown a fit when Gwangjong had returned after months of absence with a child in his arms. The king had been fully prepared to execute any who dared to touch his child. He had ordered ten guards to stand outside of Seol's quarters. The only people allowed near her were himself and her wet nurse. No one was allowed to touch or handle the royal baby. Gwangjong knew that if Seol had been a son, he would have tripled- or even quadrupled- her protection, knowing that Yeon Hwa would not have stopped attacking the baby until she was dead. He had visited numerous temples and offered many sacrifices, thanking the Buddha for making Seol a princess and not a prince._

"And that's how you came to the world. How you made a lonely king happy again," he concluded. Seol did not speak and Gwangjong continued to pat her back.

She still had ten soldiers following her at all times. Seol's food was always tested and Gwangjong made sure any gifts presented to her were used by the senders first. He remembered once watching a courtier dabbing the perfume he had gifted to her against his own neck before collapsing in shrieks, scratching his throat bloody as poison seeped into his skin. Gwangjong remembered having the man executed by boiling him in a pot of oil.

If Gwangjong had one thing to be thankful for, it was that Yeon Hwa defended the integrity of _all_ of his children. Whether it was to remain in his good graces or that she pitied his daughter, Gwangjong did not know. But during functions and ceremonies, Yeon Hwa upheld her position as queen with grace and never allowed Seol to stray behind her siblings, making sure each child was impeccably prepared to face society. Gwangjong did not mind that Yeon Hwa never spoke to Seol outside of her requirements as queen. He figured Seol did not mind either.

The princess breathed softly, her eyes closed and her hand grasping his robe. Gwangjong gazed down at his child and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Goodnight, my child. May you continue to grow and thrive. Oh how much happiness you've brought this lonely king."

He slipped away from her, tucking her in even though he knew she would kick the covers away later. Pink and green butterflies covered the yellow blanket that warmed the sleeping girl, warding monsters away and keeping her safe.

Gwangjong sat beside Seol as she drooled onto her pillow. He chuckled and shook his head. "Oh Soo," he sighed. "Wherever you are… if you're watching us from the sky or if you've been reborn as a butterfly, know that our daughter is safe and she is happy. I know I broke my promise, but I don't regret it. I'll keep our girl safe. She's all I have left of you."

Standing, Gwangjong padded away from the sleeping child and silently crept out of her room, careful not to make a noise lest he wake his tired daughter.

* * *

 **Huh. I didn't know I'd update this story again, but here we are. I was inspired after watching Southpaw. I love the dynamics children have with their parents especially when the kid is really little.** **Maybe I'll do a Southpaw AU later.**


	6. Snow

_Will it snow while we are asleep?_

 _Will it snow over your closed eyes?_

 _Will it snow?_

 _When we open the curtains in the morning, will it snow?_

"Snow" by Zion T. ft. Lee Mun Sae

* * *

Delicate wisps floated around the castle, adding to the soft mounds of white that covered the stone walkways, and hid packed earth from sight. Great, black archways covered in statues of formidable beasts were hidden by soft white, and tiled rooftops became lumpy with peculiar shapes as birds left footprints on frost untouched by human hands.

White steam left red lips as lords and ladies hurried to their destinations, too cold to care about the pristine ice that fell from the sky; they were too old to care. Childhood wonder had departed those who only craved power and fought each day to reach for the next highest rank.

However, there were those whose rank allowed them the leisure of momentary peace.

Standing still amidst the hurried lives of those outside of his private residence, Gwangjong gazed out at the soft pillow of untouched snow that whited out all colors of fall.

Furs and padded silks covered his body, yet his breath curled upwards like the steam of a dragons breath. The son of the dragon stood alone, staring at the pristine white that longed for someone to play in it.

It would be unwise for the king to play alone. The ministers would whisper of madness- as if they did not already- and the court would mock him. In any case, Gwangjong detested being alone. He would not play in the snow if he had no one… and another season of frigid fun would pass, turning into dust.

Two years ago, his daughter had arrived with Wang Jung. Gwangjong remembered her eager laughter as she waded through the snow, her gloved hands collecting it into perfectly shaped projectiles that eventually made their way into the faces of unsuspecting ministers.

The ministers hit with snowballs thrown by a nine-year-old girl had tried to have her arrested. Gwangjong chuckled as he thought of how the most ambitious of his court had frothed at the mouth as he dismissed their demands to have Yoo Seol punished.

He remembered Jung being strict with Seol, telling her she was not to pester the ministers. He had wanted to intervene, to tell the girl that she could do whatever she wanted, but there were rules to instill in the child's mind.

Instead, after Jung had stopped reprimanding the girl, Gwangjong had winked at her.

He held a bare hand out, watching wisps float onto his palm, melt, and disappear into oblivion. His home was quiet- silent.

His Seol's voice was a reminder of summer. Her chiming laughter came with the flowers and bees, a contrast from her namesake. Gwangjong saw his baby girl when birds sang and Wang Jung arrived to attend the rituals.

It was in the fall that the remnants of their family gathered, yet only Seol and Jung resided in the king's private residence. Baek Ah, his sisters, his brothers, nieces, nephews, they all avoided him. Gwangjong only greeted them when he arrived to head the offering to their ancestors.

He wanted nothing more than to join in the festivities after they bowed to their father's grave and their grandfather's shrine… but his presence was never welcome, and as king, Gwangjong knew to excuse himself.

Alone, Gwangjong remembered when he was just "So."

He smiled sadly, gazing out at the still-untouched snow. No one walked through it, for fear of incurring his wrath, yet he wished someone would join him- even just to sit and have tea.

 _Tea._

The steam from his lips brought visions of a woman who made tea. She had loved snow.

The earliest years of his reign were filled with sunlight. A woman held his hand through the rocky stages of his budding empire, and her voice filled his heart with love.

Gwangjong looked out at the snow and saw Hae Soo tripping and planting her face into the slush, her vermillion skirt fluttering over white and her ivory shawl flipping to cover her head.

She was a flower dressed with foxes- the rare, white foxes Gwangjong had shot over the course of three years. Seven of the creatures went into making her shawl and gloves.

She had laughed until she could not stand. Gwangjong remembered pulling her from the snow and brushing it off of her clothes as she giggled. Her laughter had been infectious- so much so that Gwangjong had fallen down beside her, hugging her as she tried to quiet herself.

Yet, each time she seemed to stop laughing, Gwangjong remembered looking into her beautiful eyes and watching her start all over again.

The royal residences had been quiet even with two people living within them, but Gwangjong had never been lonely when Hae Soo was alive.

They spent blizzards huddled together, warming each other's bodies and waiting for the storms to pass. Friction created heat, and within the warm halls of the most opulent room in the kingdom, they spent hours reading, speaking, and holding each other. For when the storms passed, there would be time for them to bundle into furs and engage in a different sort of play.

Now, gazing at the still-untouched snow, he was completely and totally alone.

He wondered what his life would have looked like if he had not let Hae Soo go. If he had just… just found some way to heal her and keep the child inside her safe. If he had just managed to save her. If he had just...

Gwangjong shook his head. There was no use in speculation. Soo was dead. Eleven years had already passed since the day she had died. Wishing would not bring her back… but imagination could.

A bright red skirt that hid a giggling child. Gwangjong could see Soo, but she was eleven years younger than him. The years had taken their toll on him, but his Soo was ever lovely. She would always be young in his mind- a spirit that time could never touch.

She walked over the snow, holding their daughter's hand. Her laughter mixed with their childs and they played together without a care in the world. Their daughter ran in and out from Soo's skirts, hiding before revealing herself with giggles louder than her mother's.

"Father!"

Gwangjong snapped out of his reverie and saw the snow still remained untouched. Soo was gone, and Seol was nowhere in sight. Instead, the remnants of last night's storm was still pure and blank.

"Father!"

He turned at the sound of a muffled high-pitched shout.

From the path behind his home, a little bundle of fur and silks waddled towards him, layers and shades of green and yellow hiding all but the chubby face of one very young princess.

Gwangjong glared the servants behind her away as she approached. The maids, nannies, and eunuchs in charge of rearing the child bowed and stopped in their tracks. The drew no closer and So averted his attention to the little girl who only continued to run.

Raising his eyebrows at the child, he watched as she stopped before him. He audibly snorted back a laugh when- instead of bowing to him, she took a moment to pant and brush her coat off.

"Hello, princess," Gwangjong said, addressing the four-year-old. Princess Jin Mae Hyang beamed with red cheeks ready to burst, bowing as low as her thick clothing could allow her to. When she rose, her endless grins made the king smile as she hopped with glee.

"Father, snow!" she called up to him, pointing a gloved hand to the blank field before them.

Kneeling, onto the cold dais, So brushed snow from the girl's hat. She was the youngest of his children, and of the many daughters and two sons Yeon Hwa had birthed, he found her the most lovable.

Perhaps it was because she was young, or perhaps it was because, unlike the others, Jin Mae Hyang did not seem to fear him. Yeon Hwa's whispers went in one ear and left through the other, making this daughter completely oblivious to the resentment her mother held for him.

She was the only of his children that addressed him as Father, and for that, Gwangjong was grateful.

"Would you like to play, princess?" he asked, gently guiding her towards the snow before them. The very snow he had ordered servants to leave untouched.

"Father, my new gloves! Look, look!"

Gwangjong flinched when a pair of pink gloves were shoved into his face but he laughed and held Jin Mae Hyang's hands to examine the dyed leather that was stamped with gold. "They're beautiful, princess," he replied.

His heart felt light at the new company that graced his presence, and Gwangjong smiled as Jin Mae Hyang grasped his pinkie with her fist and began pulling him. "Play, play!" she shouted.

Gwangjong laughed when the princess's boots marked the perfect snow. His boots soon followed, and they walked through the thick, feathery ice until Gwangjong knelt to pick his daughter up before she could be smothered.

They laughed together as the sun rose high in the sky. Gwangjong secured Jin Mae Hyang's hat on top of her head before lightly tossing her into the snow, watching her fall through as if she had splashed into a bathtub.

Only her green hat peeked through the snow, showing the king where he needed to dunk his hands to withdraw her.

When she resurfaced, Gwangjong hugged her giggling body tightly, warming her and brushing her off. "Again! Again!" she screeched, pulling at the ties of his coat. "Again, Father!"

He showed her how to make shapes in the snow. Remembering how Soo had showed him how to make something called a "snow angel" he laid the princess onto the snow and took the spot beside her, swinging his arms and legs until large arcs created wings and a skirt around him.

His snow angel was much bigger than Jin Mae Hyang's, but when the princess puffed her chest out and declared hers larger, he laughed. "How is yours larger? Princess, are your eyes alright? Come here, princess, let me check your eyes!"

He asked aimless questions while chasing her through the snow.

"Jin Mae Hyang, your eyes! I must see if your eyes are alright!" Gwangjong took one long stride at a time as Jin Mae Hyang struggled to run past the natural barriers that blocked her path. He found it endlessly funny that this princess broke law after law: running from the king, shouting at the king, hitting the king with snow, and rubbing slush into the king's face.

"Ah!" She screamed with laughter and when Gwangjong finally scooped her into his arms, she hid her face in her gloves and continued to giggle. "No eyes! Jinny doesn't have eyes! No eyes!" she declared.

"Where did Jin Mae Hyang's eyes go?" Gwangjong demanded, mocking surprise. "Jin Mae Hyang, no! Your eyes! Where did they go?"

He chuckled when Jin Mae Hyang peeked through her gloves to make sure he was still looking at her. "Eyes! I saw them!" he said, pointing to where she peeked. "You have lied to the king!"

The gloves immediately shut to hide her face once more. "No! No!"

They repeated their game of hiding and finding until finally, Jin Mae Hyang revealed her full face and declared, "Eyes here!"

Hours and hours they played, running about, pelting each other with snow, and making little people with the packed ice. Gwangjong ordered a servant to bring one of his robes, and when it arrived, he and Jin Mae Hyang dressed one of their snow people in dragon robes, creating a crown out of sticks and using gold coins as eyes. Gwangjong removed a feather from the ornaments on his coat and stuck the curved piece onto the snow person to make a frowning mouth.

"No!" Jin Mae Hyang whined. "No! No!"

Her little hand reached high above her head and Gwangjong frowned when she tore the feather off before turning it over and mashing it back onto the snow person's face. "No frowns! Frowning is mean! Smiles are pretty!"

Narrowing his eyes at the princess's exclamations, Gwangjong huffed. "A king must be regal and composed at all times."

"Not a king," the sassy princess snapped back at him. She pointed to the snow person. "Father always smiles. King frowns, but Father smiles."

Gwangjong paused to decipher his child's words and gently smiled when he gathered her meaning. "Am I not the king to you, little one?" he asked softly.

Jin Mae Hyang's small mouth opened into a massive yawn and she nodded. "You're Father. Father smiles."

Leaning down, the king picked his daughter up and cradled her against his chest as she made no move to fight him off. The exhausted princess wiped at her eyes and curled closer to him, her blue lips telling Gwangjong it was time to stop.

Servants took the princess to a separate room while the king undressed. Wet, cold clothes were peeled away layer by layer until only dry underclothes remained.

Donning new, warm clothes, Gwangjong walked out of his bedroom and to the dining room where the princess already waited for him. Though she was a mannerless spirit, her servants made sure she was punctual.

Gwangjong smiled when he laid eyes on his daughter as she dozed off in the chair she sat on. He thought of his father's words as he watched the princess's head bob as she fought to keep her eyes open. She did not notice his entrance.

"They say daughters turn men into fools," he murmured softly, walking up to Jin Mae Hyang and gently picking her up. The servants had removed her wet clothing and outerwear, so she only wore a regular hanbok and belt, her little feet bare. "I have five, yet you are the one that has made the biggest fool out of this old man."

Undoing the belt at his waist, Gwangjong tossed it onto the table and sat down where a tray of hot tea and cookies were prepared. Jin Mae Hyang curled into his chest and the king wrapped her in his coat, creating a bulging lump over his chest and stomach.

Rocking the little girl against his chest, So reached for the tea and poured himself a cup.

He sat back and blew on the scalding water to cool it before opening his coat as a ruffled head of black hair popped out at the scent of warm food. "Would you like a sip?" he asked, offering Jin Mae Hyang his cup.

A little hand reached out from beneath his coat and Gwangjong smiled when the little girl gulped down the warm tea before handing it back and hiding where it was warm and dark. He filled his cup again and drank his tea as he lulled the little girl to sleep. It was not long before her grip on his shirt loosened and her head fell against him as her breathing deepened. The princess slept against her father without a care in the world.

Later, he would return her to her mother, but for the moment, he was happy to end a day of snow with his child, exhausted from a day of fun.

* * *

 _Dedicated to the amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and talented Krysyuy. You are a beacon of light. Thank you for all that you do._


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